Crane put Fenella in charge of looking after the umbrella. It is possible that Mansfield is using the umbrella as symbolism to suggest that his grandmother decided it was time for Fenella to become more responsible. It says: “Fenella remembers leaving the gooseneck umbrella standing on the small sofa. If it fell, would it break? (Mansfield). This line means that Fenella's sense of responsibility is growing and she is beginning to consider things that she did not have before. Finally, at the end of the journey, before her grandmother can finish her sentence, Fenella announces to her that she has the umbrella, indicating that her sense of responsibility and her transition from girl to woman is complete. One issue addressed in Mansfield's story is society's perception of male and female gender roles. Because Fenella's mother has died, her father sends her to her grandmother to teach him how to be a woman. Fenella knows little about the world, which the author wanted to attribute to the fact that Fenella did not have a mother. This could be because mothers are expected to “provide complete physical and psychological care” for their child (Caplan and Hall-McCorquodale 346). Mansfield was born in 1888 and wrote “The Journey” in 1921, at a time when women were more restricted in their lives and roles. Towards the end of the story, Fenella knows more about the world and can take care of her grandmother's umbrella thanks to the female advice she receives.